Actuator arrays of this type may be used for example in piezoelectric ink jet devices. Then, each of the active piezoelectric bodies will be associated with an ink chamber and a nozzle and serves as an actuator for creating an acoustic pressure wave in the liquid ink in the associated ink chamber so that an ink droplet is expelled from the corresponding nozzle.
The signal leads may be used for applying a voltage to the signal electrode of a selected one of the actuators, whereas the common electrodes of all piezoelectric bodies are grounded via the common lead. Thus, in the actuator to which the voltage has been applied, a voltage drop will occur across the piezoelectric material, causing the same to expand or contract and thereby to generate the pressure wave.
In order for the actuator array to be more easily connected to an electronic control circuit, it is frequently desired that all electrical connectors are disposed on only one side of the row of piezoelectric bodies. Then, the common lead on the second side of the row has to be connected to the connector lead on the first side without short-circuiting any of the signal leads or signal electrodes.
WO 2012/072114 A1 discloses an actuator array in which the connector lead is disposed outside of an active range of the array, so that the connector lead may be connected to the common lead via an extension that bypasses the active range of the array. On the surface of the substrate plate, the signal leads, the common lead and the connector lead with its extension to the common lead form a relatively complicated pattern that may be formed by means of lithographic processes.
It is an object of the invention to provide an actuator array that can be produced more easily and at lower costs.